Ravens set to debut new secondary against Steelers

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on September 5, 2011, 9:44 PM EST

Getty Images

With all of the attention in Baltimore on the tackle and wide receiver positions, it’s easy to forget how different their secondary is going to look compared to the group that played in last year’s playoff loss to Pittsburgh.

Gone are starters Josh Wilson and Dawan Landry. It appears that Tom Zbikowski will take over Landry’s old starting job at safety.

That would leave Chris Carr as a nickel defender and Domonique Foxworth as an expensive insurance policy as he tries to get healthy. Lardarius Webb is also in the mix.

All of the above is subject to chance, but there’s no denying the Ravens are making an interesting gamble by getting younger and faster through the roster. The same is true at wide receiver and tight end.

We think the youth movement will pay off in the long run, but it could lead to some growing pains early in the year.

We win games. We win BIG games. We own this league. We will leave this league after this SB run. We will start our own league and none of these loser teams will be allowed. Here we go Steelers, here we go! That’s right! Seven rings then off to the SFL where we might find a challenge by having Steel face Steel. Here we go Steelers, here we go!

I just told a friend of mine, Big Ben is about to air that stuff out. Smith couldnt handle Moss i just cant see him handling any of the Steelers Wideouts. I live in Baltimore, neither a fan of both teams but calling it us i see it.

With all of the attention in Baltimore on the tackle and wide receiver positions, it’s easy to forget how different their secondary is going to look compared to the group that played the AFC Championship game. – Gregg Rosenthal

Baltimore didn’t play in the AFC Championship game last year. Pittsburgh played the New York Jets.

It’s going to be a great game. They will play like Ravens and the Steelers will play like Steelers. No matter what the end result, there will be a bunch of guys waking up the next morning in a lot of pain. Truley the best three games of the season 2 in the regular then 1 in the post. GO RAVENS!!!!

Did you guys even do an research before writing this article or did you just guess?

Bernard Pollard will be starting at SS
Webb will be starting at Nickel

I guess you guys tried to cover up your lack of knowledge of this team by saying that “all of this is subject to change” but the truth of the matter is that the lineup your reporting is nowhere near the correct depth chart.

steelernationlolzatyouremptytrophycase6 blorted “Here we go Steelers, here we go!” Indeed, you did go, as in Go Away. Green Bay 31 Pittsburgh 25, XLV. If you can get to the postseason this year, see you there.

steelernationlolzatyouremptytrophycase6 says:
Sep 5, 2011 9:55 PM
We win games. We win BIG games. We own this league.
————————————————————
Well not all big games and the Ravens case isn’t empty nor are alot of others LOL

Zbikowski is a great compliment to Ed Reed. While Rees takes risks and is a natural ball hawk. Tommy Z is a by the books guy. Plays great and is a natural safety. Along with starting corners mentioned, I’ve said Williams and smith would start. They have looked most impressive preseason and Webb looked more like a nickel back than starting cb.

Let’s just see where we stand Sunday around 4 PM. Always a geat game.
Note to Steelers fans: Dont take youth as weakness. Unless you dont count Mike Wallace etc. performing beyond expectations as rookies. Jimy Smith is the real deal. Cary Williams is big and physical and without us handing the game to you last year, you DONT play in the AFC championship game. Game on!!! See you on the field Sunday!!!

Speaking as an unconditional Ravens fan, I think this is one of the most depressing years to watch and root for this franchise.

I can’t help but feel that the front office has all but chalked this up as a “building year.”

Both the recieving and secondary corps have almost completely been gutted, and not necessarily in a reassuring way.

Jimmy Smith was a no brainer in the draft, but having seen what turns out to be mediocre talent and lack of cerebral ability, he’s a below average prospect. Pollard is a bruiser, basically a guy with a MLB mentality and secondary speed, with abysmal covering ability. And Ed and Ray arent getting any younger.

Cameron continues his dim-witted, predictable “run on first, run on second, pass on third and hope for the best, and punt” -approach to play calling. Flacco, after three years at the helm, seems to be playing even sloppier than before.

It just doesn’t seem to be a team with much promise this year. But who knows?

It’s ironic that steel trolls are all over the article about Ravens secondary, considering that Ravens’ Foxworth, #5 corner on the roster ( Lardarius Webb is clear #3/nickel corner) is probably better then Pitt’s #1 corner Ike Taylor or any other corner on the roster.
Anyway, I’m looking forward to see how the big corners do against the steelers fast receivers, as well as how they progress throughout the year. Last year Ravens decided to go small at corner, Wilson, Car, Web, Washington and Foxworth before he got heart are all 5-10. This year they completely reversed course with 6-1 and 6-2 corners, with Web at nickel.

Ha ha! I can’t wait for the Squealer fans to go, “Who’s that Williams guy? Damn, Jimmy is fast, wish we had him. ” The receiver play of the steelers will be shut down by these corners (1 combined start means nothing). You will see when Wallace / Ward is shutdown. I’ll give Brown a long reception or two as the slot receiver but you Squealer fans will see in due time. I hope you are all out in full force when the Ravens win this one.

I thought I heard Lardarius Webb was going to be a star? And why did they sign Chris carr to an extension if the he’s not going to start? When/if Foxworth gets healthy he’s going to get into the mix for that salary.

I agree with the poster above. I am generally a Ravens supporter but since they released Heap, let Dawan landry go (Who was VERY underrated), & traded McClain for Leach in FA I don’t see where they are going.

Yes the team appears to be getting young but the players it pays the most are going to goto waste of they don’t win NOW – Boldin, Evans (just traded for), Lewis, Reed, Suggs.

to the two “Ravens fans” who posted bemoaning the Ravens and how they just aren’t really going to be any good, I really wonder if you are who you say.

If you can honestly say that you think McClain is a better FB than Leach you know ZERO about football. All you had to do is look at the holes he was clearing out for Ray Rice in preseason despite our unsettled line.

If you think that Dawan Landry was underrated, then you are just plain stupid. The guy was the most overrated safety in the league and all because he played next to Ed Reed. He never could cover because of his lack of speed. What he did was hit, but after his neck injury he basically stopped tackling. Pollard is a huge upgrade because he can hit and isn’t playing scared. My one bitch about the Ravens is that they are starting Zibby over Haruki. I just think Haruki covers better than Zibby, but I can live with it.

This team got younger, faster and hungrier. And while you can never predict the Steelers games, all of the idiots who think this is going to be a blow out need to start taking their stelazine. They have to stop getting signals from the radio through the aluminum foil cap they made with the little antennae on the top.

And finally, to the Steelernation….. miscreant that says the same thing over and over and over. The last time I checked you lost the Superbowl to Greenbay. Do you realize just how stupid you sound saying the same trip over and over. It isn’t particularly funny. It doesn’t really bother us real Raven fans. All it does is give credence to the thought that there is too much inbreeding in western pennsylvania. Having read the posts of competent steeler fans and yes there are many of them I can not overgeneralize.

And this miscreant ladies and gentlemen is the prime example of what happens when the condom breaks, the diaphragm slips and mommy was too stupid to use a spermacide figuring that vaseline would work just as well.

Cary Williams has looked solid enough in the preseason, including an outstanding game against Dwayne Bowe (who is a far better receiver than anything the Steelers have). While Pollard is awful in coverage I have a feeling that he is there less to play coverage as he is for run support and blitzing, 2 things he excells at.

as for Jimmy Smith, I expect he will show his inexperience but that doesn’t change the fact that his natural talent is off the charts and if need be Webb can cover Wallace (as he has in the past very effectively given his speed).

What no steelers fan will admit to is that Joe Flacco could easily turn in a 200+ yard multiple pass TD game against that secondary. Bryant McKinney may be new, but that hardly changes the fact that he is a talented Left Tackle, and Oher is a pro-bowl caliber tackle when he is on the right side. The middle of this Offensive line Feature 2 top 10 guards in Marshall Yanda and Ben Grubbs. At center Birk is a very good leader and was one of the best at his position last season.

On the outside Flacco has something in Evans he has never had before-a legitimate deep threat receiver. With Evans and Smith manning the 1 and 2 spots and Boldin working his magic over the middle I like this receiving corps to score against the Steelers poor secondary.

In the Superbowl Green Bay showed everyone the formula for beating Pitt. Since their strength lines in the Linebackers, make them take them off the field. Spread them out in 3 wide sets and force the Nickle package. Watch Palamoulu and exploit the likes of Gay, Taylor, and Mcfadden all the way to the endzone.